Former pupil wins £450,000 damages from private school over abuse

A FORMER pupil who was abused at Sir Tony Blair’s old school has been awarded £450,000 in damages – thought to be the largest such award to a victim in Scotland.

The man, now in his 50s, was abused by a teacher at Fettes College in Edinburgh.

He was awarded the damages yesterday and the prestigious school issued a “full and unreserved apology to anyone who suffered abuse” at the school.

The man has joined calls, including from broadcaster Nicky Campbell, to extradite a man known only as Edgar from South Africa to Scotland after claims that he abused children at the £40,000-ayear boarding school and also at Edinburgh Academy.

The victim, who wanted to remain anonymous, said he fully supported the “continued fight for justice by my fellow survivors and the campaign to ensure ‘Edgar’ is brought back to Scotland” and put before the courts.

“I have waited a long time for Fettes to recognise the abuse that I suffered at the hands of one of their teachers,” he said. “Not just in terms of their public apology but also in the payment of damages.

“I pursued my case against the school to ensure they fully appreciated the gravity of the harm that we suffered as children there.”

It is thought the payout is the largest awarded to a victim of historical abuse at a Scottish private school.

The man was represented by solicitor Thompsons, and Laura Connor, who leads the firm’s historical abuse unit, welcomed that the school had “finally acknowledged the gravity of the abuse and the ongoing impact it has had on our client”.

“It is disappointing that they took so long to do so but we are pleased to have achieved the right outcome for our client in the end,” she said.